CONTENTS

Special Offer for VRG-News Subscribers-
European Vacation Guides on Sale for Just $8!

Resources for the Visually Impaired and Others

Taco Bell's Beans are Still Lard-free

July/August 1999 Vegetarian Journal Online

Vegetarian Vacation Guide Available

Job Opening: Web Site Maintenance/Computer Support

Recipe of the Month: Tempeh Stuffed Potatoes

About the Vegetarian Resource Group

About VRG-News

1) NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

There have been several changes around the VRG office recently. Tamara Richter,
who had been the circulation manager for the last three years, has moved
on to another job. Drew Nelson has replaced her. He is a Maryland native,
and has been actively involved in the vegetarian movement since age 15. He
worked for the Common Market Cooperative Natural Food Store in Frederick,
MD for two years. For the past year he worked for OK Natural Food Store in
Baltimore, MD. He is also in school studying elementary education, which
he plans to pursue in the future. Drew has been vegetarian for seven years
and vegan for three.

Darlene Veverka, who had been the VRG catalog manager, is now here part-time.
She is also working at a computer education center, and is in school working
toward her systems engineer certification. Jeanne McStay, a VRG volunteer
for the last three years, was hired as the new catalog manager. Jeanne was
raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, and moved to Maryland in 1980. She attended
the University of Maryland where she received her B.A. in Business
Administration. Jeanne has been vegetarian for 14 years and vegan for 2.
She currently lives in a two hundred-year-old farmhouse with her five cats.

The VRG office is also bustling with three interns. Hiroko Kato, a freelance
journalist from Japan, has been working here since March. She has already
written several articles that will appear in future issues of Vegetarian
Journal. Lacey Levitt, a Johns Hopkins University (MD) student with a
film studies major and psychology minor, and Megan Royer, a recent nutrition
graduate from San Diego State University (CA), have also joined the staff
for the summer.

2) SPECIAL OFFER FOR VRG NEWS SUBSCRIBERS-
EUROPEAN VACATION GUIDES ON SALE FOR JUST $8!

With only 20 copies of The European Vegetarian Guide left in stock,
we decided to offer them to VRG-News subscribers at a special discount
of $8. They normally retail for $16, and list nearly 2,000 vegetarian and
vegetarian-friendly restaurants and hotels in Europe. The guide is written
in French, German, and English. It even has a section on how to explain
vegetarianism in twelve languages and offers a vegetarian lexicon. The exclusive
VRG-News subscriber price of $8 INCLUDES special standard shipping
($3 additional for UPS/RPS). To order a copy of the guide online, use our
secure server
https://skyport.net/vrg/order.htm
and list "VRG-News European Vacation Guide" in the "notes" field. You can
also send a check made payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203. For more information about the restaurant guide, or
to order over the phone with a Visa or Mastercard, call (410) 366-VEGE
(8343).

3) NEW RESOURCES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND OTHERS

We've been repeatedly asked for our materials on audio cassette, and now
thanks to volunteer Wes Klein, we are able to offer our most requested brochures.
We currently have Vegetarianism in a Nutshell available, and hope
to add Heart Healthy Eating Tips, Vegan Diets in a Nutshell,
and Vegetarian Nutrition Guide for Teenagers in the coming weeks.
If you would like a copy of Vegetarianism in a Nutshell on audio cassette
send a check for $5 to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore,
MD 21203. You can also call (410) 366-8343 from 9-5 EST for more information
or to order over the phone with a Visa or Mastercard. If you are visually
impaired or under special circumstances, and on a limited income, we can
provide a tape free of charge, please call for details. If you would like
to make a donation to help with this project please call (410) 366-VEGE or
go to
https://skyport.net/vrg/donate.htm
to donate online.

4) TACO BELL'S BEANS ARE STILL LARD-FREE

A recent article in the Seattle Times had vegetarians concerned after it
stated that Taco Bell's refried beans contained lard. We received several
e-mails and calls wondering if this was true. Many people referred to our
Guide to Fast Food, which stated the opposite.

We called Taco Bell's nutritionists to check on the story. They confirmed
in writing that their beans do not contain any lard, and that they would
consider it a step backward to add it. They also said that the chicken broth
in their rice would be replaced with vegetarian broth due to customer request.
At this time, we are working on written confirmation of the vegetarian broth
ingredients. We will continue to provide updates.

Also in the issue: Chips Ahoy, lowfat veggie and fruit chips, by Nancy
Berkoff; Velo Ventures for Vegans, tips and recipes for biking tours,
by Heather Hedrick; Guide to Tomato Products; Nutrition Hotline: Soyfoods
and Calcium Loss, and much more.

The Journal features informational and recipe articles, product and
book reviews, news for vegetarian activists, and up-to-date information about
vegetarian health and nutrition. If you are not currently a subscriber to
the Vegetarian Journal, why not subscribe today?

Subscriptions to Vegetarian Journal are $20/year in the US (please
inquire for subscription rates outside the US). Accepted forms of payment,
all in US funds, are Visa, MasterCard, checks drawn on US banks, and postal
money orders. When joining, please send us your name, address, phone number,
and e-mail address. If paying by credit card, please include the card number
and expiration date.

6) VEGETARIAN VACATION GUIDE AVAILABLE

The Vegetarian Resource Group has just published a four page sampling of
vegetarian vacation spots gathered for Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural
Foods Restaurants in the US and Canada. The book lists over 2,000 restaurants
and over 200 resorts, bed and breakfasts, travel agents, and tours. The vacation
spot sampler gives vegetarian travelers over forty bed and breakfasts, spas,
resorts, and retreats to consider for their next vacation.

The vacation spots range from a quiet bed and breakfast on Mount Desert Island
in Maine, to a strictly vegan health resort located in the Black Hills of
South Dakota, to a vegetarian hotel in France that offers vegetarian soirees
twice a week.

To order a copy of the Vegetarian Vacation Guide send five first class
stamps with your request to Vegetarian Vacation Guide, The Vegetarian Resource
Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. The guide will also be going online
shortly, so check the travel section of the VRG website at
http://www.vrg.org/travel.

Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants in the US and
Canada (371 pages) is available for $16. To order a copy send a check
made payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD
21203. You can also order a copy through the VRG website at
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/guide.htm.
For more information about the restaurant guide or to order over the phone
with a Visa or Mastercard call (410) 366-VEGE (8343).

7) JOB OPENING: RESEARCH/WEB SITE MAINTENANCE/COMPUTER SUPPORT

Jack or Jill of all trades with good science background, writing skills,
computer experience, and knowledge of vegetarian issues. About one-fourth
of the job is to help keep computer software/hardware/network up to date
and running smoothly. The other three-fourths of the job is to author and
edit books, research and write articles, maintain and develop web site, respond
to inquiries, answer e-mails, deal with media questions, and more. Familiarity
with Windows NT, networking, HTML, and software/hardware support experience
helpful. Must be a problem solver and enjoy troubleshooting computer issues.
Full health and dental insurance. The job is in Baltimore. Send resume, writing
sample, and cover letter to The Vegetarian Resource Group, Box 1463, Baltimore,
MD 21203.

8) RECIPE OF THE MONTH: TEMPEH STUFFED POTATOES

This recipe originally appeared in Conveniently Vegan, by Debra Wasserman.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake potatoes about 1 hour or until done. Remove
from oven. Meanwhile, in a separate large non-stick frying pan, sauté
tempeh, onion, and seasonings in oil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are done, split them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the
cooked potato leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Mash the potatoes with the water
and mix in the tempeh mixture. Stuff the mixture into the potato shell and
serve two halves per person immediately. You can also reheat the stuffed
potatoes and serve at another time.

There are over 150 recipes in Conveniently Vegan (208 pages), as well
as product listings and mail order sources. Recipes include Spinach Lasagna,
Sweet Fava Beans, and Bread Pudding. The book is just $15 (including shipping).
To read more about Conveniently Vegan visit the VRG website at
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/convvegan.htm.

9) ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and
individuals to bring about healthy changes in your school, workplace, and
community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of
nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about
vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization.
Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, and book sales.
The Vegetarian Journal, a bi-monthly print magazine, is a benefit
of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see "July / August
1999 Vegetarian Journal Online" above.)

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, or find out
more about The VRG, contact us at: The Vegetarian Resource Group PO Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203 Phone: (410) 366-8343 Fax: (410) 366-8804 E-mail:
vrg@vrg.org Website:
www.vrg.org

10) ABOUT VRG-NEWS

VRG-News is the monthly e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource
Group. This is an announcement list, so subscriber messages are not accepted
by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact
the list manager, Bobbi Pasternak, at
bobbi@vrg.org. If you have any suggestions,
ideas, or corrections to VRG-News, direct them to
vrg@vrg.org. Thanks!

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Contents of VRG-News are copyright 1999 by The Vegetarian Resource
Group. The newsletter may be freely distributed in electronic or print form
provided its contents are not altered and credit is given to The Vegetarian
Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

The contents of this web site, as with
all The Vegetarian Resource Group publications, is not
intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical
advice should be obtained from a qualified health
professional.

Any pages on this site may be
reproduced for non-commercial use if left intact
and with credit given to The Vegetarian Resource Group.